Mavericks Vs. Thunder, Game 4: Dirk Nowitzki Powers Comeback, Overtime Win For Dallas

That has us reassessing what we thought we knew about the Mavericks. In particular, it has us reassessing what we thought about Kidd, the ageless wonder. SI.com yeoman Zach Lowe digs in with a post wondering whether Dallas lost the infamous Kidd-Devin Harris trade after all.

The issue at the core of this consideration is whether Kidd has been better than Harris, or whether the parts were largely interchangeable and the foundations around these players are what has led to the divergent fates.

Earlier today, we wrote about Dirk Nowitzki and said, “He’s taken his game to a level we never imagined. Not just once-in-a-lifetime scoring, but once-in-a-lifetime once-a-night, and always at the biggest moments possible. The stuff the NBA makes commercials about.”

↵Annnnnd.... This is that commercial.

Dirk Nowitzki did everything for the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, but after leading his team back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, Dirk shifted the focus to his teammates. Even though he had every reason to thump his chest after leading an epic comeback in the final minutes, Nowitzki stopped short.

In his postgame press conference (transcript here), Dirk wanted to talk about his teammates. “I’s just a bunch of veterans with a lot of unique stories, he said. “A lot of guys been through a lot in this league and have been around forever, a bunch of guys have been to The Finals.”

At that point, I made the mistake of falling asleep. Then Dirk happened.

Piecing things together the morning after re-watching the final minutes at 7 a.m. and reading post-game quotes... There’s just not much you can say. Dirk Nowitzki’s been warning us for the past month now. We should have seen this coming. Dirk’s 2011 Playoffs have been a work of art all along, and the picture wouldn’t be complete without a deadly comeback like this.

We’ve talked before about the importance of Harden as a bridge between the somewhat divergent talents of Westbrook and Durant. Harden’s playmaking ability mitigates Westbrook’s sometimes-shaky decision making, and his scoring ability, especially with his ability to spot-up and hit three-pointers, gives Durant more space to operate. Without him on the floor, the Thunder have too few scoring options, and it kills them in tight possessions when they need a basket. That’s precisely what caused the Game 4 collapse, and it could have been avoided if Harden was more judicious with his fouls.

A deeper look from NBA.com Stats Cube reveals that it’s even worse. In three regular-season games against Dallas, Westbrook averaged just 14.3 points per game on 32 percent shooting with a dreadful 41.4 percent true shooting percentage. The Thunder were also outscored by 8.3 points per 100 possessions when Westbrook was on the court. In this series, Westbrook is averaging 21.8 points per game on 35 percent shooting, which is an improvement, but he’s also averaging just 4.8 assists per game and 5.3 turnovers, and he’s still been a net negative in the plus/minus department.

It sounds a bit trite, but when analyzing Westbrook’s struggles this series, the truth is the Mavericks deserve way more credit than they are getting. As erratic as Westbrook sometimes is, he doesn’t struggle like this against any other team. He’s not beating himself as much as the Mavericks’ defense is beating him.

One, a half-cocked off-the-dribble floater from the left baseline with two minutes left and the Mavericks down seven, seemed to represent the turning point. Even though the Mavericks had already fought to within single digits and made the Ford Center nervous, even though the Thunder were tightening up considerably, it was still a margin worth respecting.

For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas. For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City.

Nowitzki turned in one of the greatest performances in playoff history, scoring 40 points with 14 of those points coming in the final five minutes of regulation. The shots that he made were absolutely unbelievable off-balance efforts, and as a result, ‘Loud City’ was silenced.

At the end of the game, the Thunder looked like an absolutely deflated team who had already lost the series. Prior to this game, they were 5-0 following losses, but they have now lost two straight on their home court to the Mavericks. They aren’t completely dead yet, but based on tonight’s happenings, an Oklahoma City comeback in this series would be absolutely stunning.

Be sure to check out our Mavericks vs. Thunder hub for full series coverage. For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.

The Thunder have eight more rebounds than the Mavericks and they’ve taken 17 more shots, all while the Mavericks have turned the ball over 11 times. After looking at those numbers, it actually seems like a minor miracle that the Mavs are still involved in the game. Thanks to Nowitzki’s 22 points and the Thunder’s 10 turnovers, this is still a very close game.

Be sure to check out our Mavericks vs. Thunder hub for full series coverage. For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.

Be sure to check out our Mavericks vs. Thunder hub for full series coverage. For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.

Down a few energy drinks, then chase them with some espresso. Then you’ll be ready for tonight’s INTENSE THUNDERMAVS encounter.

Here is another example of just one action (setting a screen up top) with everyone standing and watching. This time, we at least get to see a pass, but it goes to Durant who is stepping back to about 30 feet away from the basket. Durant makes the catch, but because he is so far out, his dribble penetration takes him just to the elbow, where he misses the jumper.

What really makes this frustrating is that when the Thunder are actually spaced properly and are moving, they look great (as they should with two of the better players in the league).

Westbrook scored 30 in Game 3, hitting eight of 20 from the floor and drawing 14 free throws. He led the Thunder in scoring, as Durant went 0-8 from long-range and scored 24 on 22 shots. But Westbrook, the point guard, had just four assists and seven turnovers. He’s a co-star instead of a supporting actor. People have a problem with that. Maybe Durant has a problem with that. Other Thunder players reportedly have a problem with that. Will it doom the Thunder?

We’ll see more in Game 4, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Be sure to check out our Mavericks vs. Thunder hub for full series coverage. For more on the Thunder, visit Welcome To Loud City. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.